Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB.1.5 variant.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38332154.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-45274-3 and PMC identifier 10853506.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Circulation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB has resulted in the emergence of XBB.1.5, a new Variant of Interest. Our phylogenetic analysis suggests that XBB.1.5 evolved from XBB.1 by acquiring the S486P spike (S) mutation, subsequent to the acquisition of a nonsense mutation in ORF8. Neutralization assays showed similar abilities of immune escape between XBB.1.5 and XBB.1. We determine the structural basis for the interaction between human ACE2 and the S protein of XBB.1.5, showing similar overall structures between the S proteins of XBB.1 and XBB.1.5. We provide the intrinsic pathogenicity of XBB.1 and XBB.1.5 in hamsters. Importantly, we find that the ORF8 nonsense mutation of XBB.1.5 resulted in impairment of MHC suppression. In vivo experiments using recombinant viruses reveal that the XBB.1.5 mutations are involved with reduced virulence of XBB.1.5. Together, our study identifies the two viral functions defined the difference between XBB.1 and XBB.1.5.
Medical subject headings
- COVID-19